Pietra di Bismantova

The Pietra di Bismantova (literally Stone of Bismantova) is a geological formation (monadnock or inselberg) in the Reggiano Apennines, in the comune of Castelnovo ne' Monti, province of Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy, c. 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Reggio Emilia.

[1] It has the shape of a narrow, quasi-cylindrical plateau (measuring 1 km x 240 m) whose steep walls rise 300 metres (980 ft) as an isolated spur from the nearby hills.

The spur is composed of yellowish calcarenite over a marl basement, all formed in the Miocene as a sea bottom.

It is surrounded by woods, mostly of hazel trees (Corylus avellana).

The Pietra di Bismantova is mentioned by Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy (Purgatory, IV, 25-30).